LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- NBC's "Life" and "Bionic Woman" are the latest members of the 2007-08 season freshman class to be hit with the recasting bug, sources confirmed to the site this week.
On the former, Lucy Hale ("How I Met Your Mother") has been tapped as Becca Sommers, the younger sister to Michelle Ryan's character, a role originally played by Mae Whitman. Said character has also been retooled - she'll no longer be hearing impaired and has been given a prowess for computer hacking.
As for "Life," it's understood Melissa Sagemiller is out as Constance Griffiths, the lawyer who helps Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) overturn his conviction. Producers reportedly want to go with an older actress for the role.
Meanwhile in other recasting news:
-- Johnny Lewis has exited the role of Ben, the musician/assistant to Rosa Blasi's character, on The CW's midseason entry "Eight Days a Week." He'll be replaced by incoming cast member Justin Hartley ("Smallville").
-- Robert Buckley ("American Heiress") has scored a recurring role on NBC's "Lipstick Jungle." He'll take over as Kirby, an aspiring beau for Kim Raver's character. Will Toale played the role in the original pilot. Producers are also still searching for a new husband for Brooke Shields's character. Christopher Wiehl was originally featured in said role.
Previously announced changes include (original actor listed in parenthesis): Scott Patterson (Patrick Breen) on The CW's "Aliens in America"; Keith Robinson (Jocko Sims) on FOX's "Canterbury's Law"; Sam Huntington (essentially for Dash Mihok) on ABC's "Cavemen"; D.W. Moffet (Brett Cullen) and Stephanie Niznik (Judith Hoag) on The CW's "Life Is Wild"; Jason Dohring (Rade Serbedzija), Shannyn Sossamon (Amber Valletta) and Sophia Myles (Shannon Lucio) on CBS's "Moonlight"; Audra McDonald (Merrin Dungey) on ABC's "Private Practice"; and Missy Peregrym (Nikki Reed) on The CW's "Reaper." Plus: a new female lead is also in the works on NBC's "The I.T. Crowd." (in place of Jessica St. Clair).
Last season saw a similar level of upheaval: Clea Lewis (Amy Farrington) on NBC's "Andy Barker, P.I."; Matthew Rhys (Jonathan LaPaglia) and Sally Field (Betty Buckley) on ABC's "Brothers & Sisters"; David Keith (Eric Allen Kramer) on CBS's "The Class"; Lindsay Sloane (Carla Gallo) on ABC's "Help Me Help You"; Linda Hart (Julie Hagerty) on FOX's "The Winner"; Malik Yoba (Luis Guzman) on NBC's "Raines"; Bianca Kajlich (Kathleen Rose Perkins), David Spade (Greg Pitts) and Oliver Hudson (Paulo Costanzo) on CBS's "Rules of Engagement"; Alicia Silverstone (Pascale Hutton) on NBC's never-aired "The Singles Table"; and Pascale Hutton (Gillian Jacobs) on ABC's "Traveler."
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